Speakers at a Peace and Democracy Conference in Berlin have criticised international institutions for ignoring the isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan at Turkey’s İmralı prison, calling for immediate action to end what they describe as inhumane treatment. At the panel on 31 August, experts noted that Turkey has disregarded recommendations from international bodies, deepening concerns over human rights violations.
Cengiz Yürekli, a lawyer from the Asrın Law Office that represents Öcalan, stated that unlawful treatment towards him began from his first day in captivity and has only intensified since the state of emergency in 2016. “The state of emergency was implemented in İmralı the morning after the night it was declared, formalising restrictions and severely limiting the rights of prisoners. The prisoners held in İmralı, and Abdullah Öcalan in particular, were subjected to strict conditions of isolation,” he said, adding that Öcalan’s communication with his family, lawyers, and the outside world has been severely restricted.
Eren Keskin, Co-chair of Turkey’s independent Human Rights Association (İHD), argued that the country’s isolation policy towards Öcalan is part of a broader strategy targeting the Kurdish people. “This is not just about Abdullah Öcalan but about all Kurds,” she stated, pointing out that repression by the state has intensified since the gains made by Kurds in Rojava. Keskin accused international institutions of ignoring Turkey’s violations of human rights agreements, saying, “The international community is turning a blind eye to this ongoing isolation.”
Ögmundur Jónasson, who has held various minsterial positions in the Icelandic parliament including that of Justice Minister, condemned the isolation of Öcalan as “unacceptable” and criticised the Turkish state for seeking only conditional peace and submission. “For the last three and a half years, there has been no word from Abdullah Öcalan. The last message from him was in 2019,” Jonasson noted, urging immediate action to make Turkey comply with the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) recommendations.
The panel, led by journalist Hayko Bağdat, is part of a broader conference organised by the European Forum for Freedom and Peace (EFFP) aimed at fostering dialogue and addressing human rights abuses worldwide. The conference continues to call for greater accountability from international institutions regarding Turkey’s treatment of Kurdish prisoners. For more coverage and videos from the event, visit their YouTube channel.
